The Scattergood Foundation

The Foundation takes its name from Thomas Scattergood, a 19th-century Philadelphia Quaker minister who protested the harsh conditions faced by the mentally ill. Scattergood advocated for moral treatment, a model of treating the mentally ill with dignity, respect, kindness, and love. This model partly inspired the Philadelphia Quaker community to found the Friends Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, the nation’s first privately run psychiatric hospital, in 1813. Based on the Quaker belief that all humans have “that of God” within them, the hospital was a special place where those who suffered from mental illness were treated with respect and dignity.

The Scattergood Foundation’s vision is to “be Thomas Scattergood” for the twenty-first century, seeking opportunities for productive dialogue and learning within the behavioral health field; and activating leadership and collaborative endeavors by awarding targeted grants to address important behavioral health needs in innovative ways.

With the range and depth of behavioral health needs far outpacing a single foundation’s financial resources, the Foundation recognizes the need to proceed in a thoughtful manner to have a meaningful impact in the region.

The Scattergood Foundation intends to employ an active, strategic approach to grantmaking to accomplish its vision. Scattergood will take an active role in identifying initiatives consistent with its priorities, seeking out organizations that can advance these initiatives, and awarding grants in a manner that can make a targeted and measurable impact. Scattergood will also seek out partnerships that can fruitfully leverage both material and non-material resources to extend its ability to effect change at grassroots and systemic levels.

Please see also: 

07 January 2015 - Drexel Now - A 'Check-Up from the Neck Up' — Mental Health Screening Kiosks at Drexel